Primary battery



Dec. ll, 1945. LE ROY s. DUNHAMv ET AL 2,390,574

PRIMARY BATTERY Filed Mrch 22, 1944 (Ittorneg Patented Dec. 11, 1945 Y p PREYIARY BATTERY Le Roy S. Dunham East 0ranggandlluber M; Bloomfield', .n N. J assignorseto- Thomas@ l A, Edison, Incorpo rated, Westy Orange, Nr J. a,

corporation of, N ew Jersey' Y Armlioation` March 22, 1944, Serial No. 527,579

1i claim @un invention relates particularly to` the class of' primary batteries inV Which the active elecf- Visi-'odes are consumedfduring the use of the batteries andina-ve to be replaced, or renewed, at in' tervalsl te keep the batteries in working condi- OII.

Ain obeet ofY ourl invention is to provide improvements for suchbatteries` which arek adapted" tepermit the active electrode elements tobe replaeeet quickly,` easily and inexpensively.

Amat-her objeetis te provide a simple device which` Willi enable more durable l'ead c-.onnecti'"ons` to be made tosuoh batteries.

The usuali form; of' primary'- batteryfoff thei class mentioned has anelectrode consisting of' one or' more pilates* or molded; copper; oxide and arr-- other"electrode-consistingof one or more'pla-tes offzi'nc; These plates are: immersed in ay caustic alkali electrolyte thatl i-s'contai'ned in aA suit-'able jai-rli-avfingL a removable` cover-for licl The platesI are heldtogether inte aunita-rvassembly,` and'` the vvllioleA assembily-isf suspended from the cover byl a; suspensionl boltfwhiehservesalsolasa binde'l nrg post. for one; of* tlfieeleetrodes` ofA the bairy. Inftliesei batteries` the plate assemblies are used up and have to be renewedt. but'tliejar-and cover' are permanenti parts:- vvliieleare` use@` over and overA agairr successive# plate assemblies, or renewalsl as: they' are frequent-ly termed?. In:` some instadlations the samer jars andi oevers have beenA im use new for more'tharr thirty-'years'.

-It has*` beenl standard practisell to secure the suspensionbolt-tolthe..eoverby` means of a smal-F hexagonal nut. a-n'd'to make the necessaryl exterL nal': lead:u connectim-rl to-"thebolt by placing a= pair' l ofwaishers on the bolt-` above" the hexagonal nntj,` inserting the lead wire'betvveer-r-tlfiewashers;` then1 threading` a Wing nut` on: theI bolt against the upper washer, and' nextthreadingfA ai secondi' Wing' nut;` on the! bolth to. lockf the first wing nut place. In replacing@ the. plateI assembly, all off t'lriese` parts `have to befremoved (the l'l'exagonaglf nutwitlrtireuseioi'a wrench, laiil-fasideandi then picked@ agaiI-r and# puts in placea. This^-is1 ofi comsela; verw tedious,A procedure involving many rrra-nipulations` and: the chancel ofi losing parts; Par-tiouiarlys,` it" wil-D be apparait that it has Abeen a:` very\ burdensome and time-consuming; job to` replace the plate assembiiesof a large number'o batteries; and-1 this will be understoodito be ajll:`

the more true when it is'considered that many"V installations` of tliesebatteries` are out-ofl-doors suehj as isrfrequentlyftlie ease with thoseused f o1 railroad signaling,` and'l the operator maybe required' to replace' the plate assemblies' of" these batteries during wintertime withl the use of gloves, with' thev result that the smal'lf nuts and' Washers' whichL he is required. to remove? and replace be-` come extremelyV di'fcult tohandle:

By the present' invention, the laborious and` tedious procedure* l'xenetof'orel reqtxiredV re'pla'e';` ingj battery' plate assemblies of primarybatteries is largely overcome. This is accomplished byv providing a single; unitary battery connector device Wnicfr is adapted to take the place of the group of partscomprising the hexagonalfmit. washers and Wing' mits as heretofore used. Witrr our` invention,` the number of manipulations required torepqlace abatteryplate assembly is'A very greatly reduced, oniy one` loose part is required" to be' re'i moved, and ail; operations'y canA be performed by' hand so that no wrenches are required". Moreover, it` is' a` feature of o ur invention that tirremovetli's part it need'l be threaded along a short length of the suspension bolt, andy that the part' shall be" relativer;r large' sothat it sha-1T not be" readilymisplacedor l'ostwhile it is removedf from* the bolt i A further-v feature of this connector device-A tliat it" enables a' positive andi durabe leadconfnecton tobe-m'ade t`o thebatterywhioir will wit-hz stand handling, vibration andL accidental manip; ulatione without opening or" loosening:I

These andy other objects' and features' of our' invention Wil-15 more fully appear from the fol@ lowing description and the appended claims.

In thedescriptionL or' our invention reference is"` hadto-theaccompanying drawing; c rf-Wliif'cir:d

Figure 1f isi afnfrafctional'i elevatioI-1a'1Ik view ofai primary battery, showinghowever the battery jar and-- cover seotiom to Whielione: embodiment off om` i invention is applied:

Figureiis a firaetionalI view' of a batteryishoweing'a'seeondiembodimentoif our invention applied?k thereto;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on theline @-45 ofv Figure 3?; 1

i Figure Slis-1 aV fractional viewf orN` er1-battery: tou which; a; third embo'climent-` ot our invention is applied;` andl I Figure Gis aviiew illustrating a modilioation-in our invention; Y

In: Figure'l thereis shown a conventional pri-- mary batteryl comprising; a' `jar l, fractionally" shown, which" is made typijoal-lvof' glassandon" thetop ofvvhi'ch'there ista lidlor'cover 2T typically" made of'glassj or" porcelain; the' coverhavin'g an: annular shoulder 2a` depending therefrom which` from each other but that alternate plates of respective polarities are electrically interconnected: This plate assembly forms, however, no part of matically shown. For a detailed description of the construction and arrangement vof a suitable plate assembly, reference may Patent No. 2,175,885. A

The plate assembly 4 has a long externallythreaded post or bolt 5 which extendsv upwardly l from the top portion Vthereof `and which forms a means for attaching the assembly to the top cover 2,',YAY This bolt projects through a central holeG.

in the cover and Vist held to the cover by a means threaded onto 'the exterior extending portion thereof as is hereinafter described. ,Between the cover and thfplateas'sembly however` there 'is' on fthe` bolt a' spacing nut 1 whichl is clamped tightly gainstthe bottom of the, cover Vwhen the bolt is secured in place. to, hold the plate'assembly at a suitable level below the coverfv The bolt is connected electrically fto the electroderplates ofone polarity and forms' one terminal for the battery. The electrical. connection tothe plates ofthe otherl polarity ismade by way of a lead 8 through an opening S, inith'w'vef. y Y

, As abovementioned, it has been standard prac'- tice to secure the suspension bolt 5 to the covert by ya small-'hexagonal nut and to make allead connection to the` bolt'by-a pair of washers andv a pair of wing nuts; and in order that the-part of the bolt extending above the cover mayureeive these nutsand lwashers it is standard practice in ytheconstruction of primary batteriesto extend the bolita distance of the order'of 711A, above the cover'. In the present invention, we provide ,a single unitarylconnector device which is adapted to rit .onto'this standard length Vof.v suspension bolt and `vtake the .place of the *group` of nuts and .washers as .heretofore used. This device eliminates the many tedious and time-consuming manipulations; which `have been required hereto' fore in,v replacing battery plateassemblies;` moreover, the vdevicfelias the advantage that it Ypro-- vides a strongerbattery assembly and permits a stronger and more durable lead; connection Vto be made to thebattery.` To faccomplish these and the other aforementioned objectives, the connectordevicehas incorporated therein certain distinctive features of design, .which are herein illustratedv by certain preferred embodiments; ofthe device. ,f ,l

In the embodiment of our invention shownin Figuresml and y2V the battery connector device, referred to ,asv I0, comprises agframe member having a vertical body portion II provided with a central bore I 2. The body portion has an laxial length which is preferably just slightly .shorter than the length of the extending part vof the bolt 5. The bore I2, which is to receive the bolt 5,

is threaded `to l'erigagethe boltat only its uppery tion'of'the bore has 'agreater diameter to freely be had to Eddy' This spacing nut serves our invention and is accordingly herein diagram- Y receive the bolt. The bottom face I3 of the body portion Il is flat and enlarged by the provision of a surrounding annular shoulder I4 so that the member I I may seat rmly on the cover and have a large area of surface engagement therewith.

The frame member also integrally includes a side arm I5 which extends from the top part of the body portionl I at right angles thereto. This arm has an axial hole I6 communicating with the bore I2. Also, the frame member has two 5 bosses I'I at opposite sides of the arm. Extending through these bosses is an opening I8 which intersects the axis of the hole I6 at approximately the junction point between this hole and the bore' v lItfvvill be understood that this frame member as above described may be readily formed by casting'and will typically be made of brass or other ysuitable material.

The opening I8 is adapted to receive a bared end portion of a connecting lead wire I9, kand is preferably made somewhat larger in diameter thanis the diameter'ofthis lead wire.V This lead wire isnsecured to the connector device by a clamping meansrZU which threads into the bore This clamping means comprises of the arm I5. a screw 20a which threads into the hole IB and has wings 20h on its outer end portionso that it may be readilyrturned by hand. t This screw 26a, has an axial opening 2| extending therethrough, the outer portion of whichis enlarged in diameter so as to provide an interior lannular shoulder 22. Slidably and rotatably fitting the interior reduced-diameterportion of the opening 2I is a plunger 23 having a head 24 on the inner end thereof which fits the hole I6. This plunger is pressed inwardly, relative to the connector clevice, by a compression spring 25 that is interposed between the head 24 and the endof the wing.

screw 20a. v The plunger is retained to the Vwing screw 20a such, for example, as by a pair of interlocked nuts 26 which are threaded onto the outer end of the plunger for abutment against the shoulder 22. These nuts alsoY serve as a kmeans for adjustingthe spring 25..to any predetermined loading. The outer end of thev opening 2I is preferably closed'by a plug` 21.

Y .To secure a battery plate assembly tothe cover 2 with the use of the connector device Ill, it is only necessaryto seatV the device on the projecting end of the suspension bolt 5 and to give the device a few turns bythehand, a final tightening of the device being also done 'by hand since the side a-rm I5 has suilcient length to enable the operator to get a iirm strong grip `onthe device.- :To secure the lead I9 tothe device, it is only necessary to insert the lead into theopening I8 and then totighten the wing screw 20a. `Vice versa, toY remove a battery plate assemblyit is only necessary'to loosen the wingscrew,zpull outthe wire I9 from the openingfI and then to give the device a few turns by hand to remove it from the suspension bolt.

to install anew batterj/plate assembly onto 'the coven Also,'it will/be observed-thatv theside arm" I5serves as a convenient-handle both for tight--V ening -andloosening the device on and from the suspension bolt and for lifting an old battery 'plateV assembly and cover from the jar and putting '1a.

the spring 25 is compressed and'. the wire ;is

pressed into engagement Awiththethreeads''ofy the It will be noted thatj since the device is relatively large, it is easy to handle and is not apt to be mislaid when it is removed` the bolt; these` r1.1

botti rreieralaly. the spring isso cliesenithat it will be wholly compressed i a-solidlcolsthe clemenza means is; engel by the hand- The pressure ei t `wire ag est thebeit, aa t te beniekedbr thethreadsofthe las ter and, to be positively electrically eennectedto .s cornet heWever4 weaken the mechanical strength. ofthe wire since they run. lengthwise of. the wire and parallel to the grain ofthe wire. `To prevent the head 24 from turne ing and, abradingl the wire as 'the clamping means: is tightened; the head. may `be provided with cleats 24d. With this. connectingmeans, it

will be'observed that: thawire will not be loosened.

byA accidental unthreading of the clamping meanjs Zbecause .the spring. 25A continues to exert, clamping pressure against the wire and to frictionally hold the clamping.. means; from loosening within the range of. several turns .of unthreading of` the wing screw; `Also, the Wire will not tend to break fromtugging becausethe bosses` l1 withthe enlarged' hole liserve topre.-A ventxsharp bends in the wire and to take up stresses from the joint between the Wire. and the suspensionbolt.

In Figures 3l and 4 we show another connector device 28 according toY a,` second embodiment of our invention. This device comprises a frame member having again a relatively longn body portion 29"provided with a central bore`30'. -.This bore has a clearance size from the bottom to near the top thereof and is interiorly threaded through itseremaining` upper portion for engagement` with the threads of the suspension bolt.

` The frame memberhas also a side arm` 3|' eX- tending from the top of the body portion which is adapted `to permit the device to be gripped rrnlyby the hand' and tightened against the cover and loosened therefrom. asl desired. At

. the side of` the body portion opposite the arm, the

frame member has an exteriorlythreaded post 32;; The upper part of the body portion 29 may bebsquare-shaped as viewed from the top, and

on the post thereis an apertured U-shaped clamping rnember'S?,` the side legs `of which slidablyengage the flat sides o-f the body portion. This clamping member has a turnedover lug 34 which engages a transverse slit 35 in the body portion of the frame membenthis slit intersecting the bore 30 asshown. Qn the end of the 'post there is a wing nut 36,1an'd between the wing nrutand clamping member there is a plain washer amend a spring-type leek washer 31 formiding the wing` nut in place when the nutY is tightcned` against the clamping member. A e

Inconnecting a plate assembly tothe cover the connector device 28 is threaded onto` the suspension beit and tightened against the cover by hand. the lead wire I9 is insertedinto the slit' 3.5` and the wing nut 35 is then tightened against the clamping member 33. `Vice versa, to remove aplate assembly from the cover it is only necessary to loosen the wing nut, pull out the lead wire. and `then unthread the. device from the` suspension bolt, all of` which Carl` be done with very few manipulations. e

. vtV will be understood that when the connector device is threaded onto the bolt, the. threads of the boit extend inte the slit 35. Thus, when` the lead wire is inserted inte me 51111.35 and the clamping member is tightened against thevvlead dire bythe wing nut se, the lead wire Win be pressedinto engagement with the bolt, and a veV electrical conneotien of the wire to the bolt is obtained. seam. the wire w11;V be recrea the threads Dftbe bolt.. but. thesefniclss. will exitendlensthwise of the: wire and will not. weaken. it mechanically. For obtaining a` yet stronger; joint, the end face of the lug 34 which' engages tllewremay be. knurled as show-n in Figure; 4. Also,` it; willbe understoodA that in view ofthe yieldabilityfof the lockY Washer- 31 the wing nut, is frictionally held fromzioosening withinthe range of. turning;` movement thereof wherein-5 the nut exerts. pressure against4 the clamping member.

\ IuFigure 5 we. show a connector device .58; ace cordingi to a third embodiment of our invention. The frame member of this devicel has substane. tiallyz the-sameformas the frame member off theI preceding device/of Figures 3 and.. 4am that'it has a main bodyportion 3.9.` provided with a central bore 40 and has a side arm 4I` and a dia-,r metrically oppositely located threaded post 42. Again, the bore has a clearance size from the bottom of` the body portion to near the top there`- of and is threaded along its remaining length for engagement with the suspension bolt. In this case, however, the leadlwire I9` is secured to-the connector device by interposingit" bet-Ween two washers 43 provided on the post 42- and clamping these washers against the lead wire-by a` wing nut 44. Also; between the outer clamping washer and wing nut there ids-a spring-type lock.- ing washer 45 for frictionally holding thawing nut from loosening within the range of` turning movement of the wing nut wherein it exerts clamping pressure against the washers. In this embodiment, it will `be understood that the end' of the wire i9` is preferably bentin theorm'of a loop so that it will partially surround the post 42 through the greater part of one revolution and be then firmly joined to the connector device when the washers are clamped against the wire.

In Figure 6 we show a. modiiiedv form of ourv invention which is adapted for use 'With battery plate 'assemblies which have an internallythreaded upstanding post in place of the long exteriorly-lthreaded suspension bolt above considered. For example,` this post'` may comprise the spacing nut 1, the nut being secured in place by being threaded to a short bolt 46 extending up` from the plate assembly. modified connector device, which 4is here referred toas 4T, has a Vertical body portion48 provided integrally with-a depending bolt 49; This bolt is to project through :thecentral hole oi the cover? and to thread into the upper portion. of the spacing nut T so as to. Clamp the plate assembly to the cover. In other respects this Connector devicemav be arranged according toeither of our embodiments abovedee scribed. By wayr of illustration, we herein show the device as `being arranged according to our embcuiirnerrtl of Figures 1 and 2, it having an nternally-threaded side arm IE., a wire-receivirig` Opening .I8 and a wire-Clamping means 20. the same as has that embodiment.v Alsathere may if desired be provided a screw thread against which the lead wire may be clamped'as by threading al short headless screw 50 into fthe top portion of the-connector device, a portion ofthe *threads of which are exposed to the wire-receiving opening IB. It will be understcodthat the manner in which this connector` device is used and the functioning of the device areithe sameas cations without departure fromthe scope of'our invention, which we endeavor to express according to the following claims. f

. 1. In a primary battery having a replaceable electrode assembly provided with an upstanding threaded post for connection with an apertured cover of the battery container: a connector device comprising a frame member having a body portion adapted to thread to said post for securing tle electrode assembly to the cover, said body portion having a side armby which the frame memberl may be rmly gripped to turn it tightly onto andremove it from the post by hand; and a wire-connecting means on said frame member including a wire-clamping member, 'hand operable screwfthreaded means on the frame member for actuating said clamping member, and resilient means associated with said hand-operable means for fricstionally holding the latter against loosening from a tightened position.

2. In a -primarybattery having a replaceable electrode assemblyprovided with an upright suspension bolt adapted to project through and be secured to an apertured cover of the battery container: a connector device comprising a frame member having a body portion provided with a central bore for receivingthe projecting length of said bolt above the cover, said bore being threaded only at its upper end portion Ifor engagement with said bolt; a side arm on said body portion by which the frame member can be gripped firmly by hand and tightened on the bolt to secure said assembly to the cover; and a lead-Wireconnecting means comprising a wire-clamping member, hand-operable screw-threaded means on said frame member for actuating said clamping member, and resilient means associated with said hand-operable means for frictionally holding the latter in `a tightened position.

3. In a primary battery having a replaceable electrode assembly provided with an upstanding threaded post for connection with an apertured cover of the battery container: a unitary connec tor device adapted to thread to said post to secure said assembly to said cover, said connector device having a side arm to facilitate its being turned by hand; and a wire-connecting means on said devicercomprising a wire-receiving opening, abutment means forming a side wall portion of sai-d opening and having grooves extending lengthwise of the opening, a wire-clamping member cooperating with said abutment means for clamping a wire therebteween, hand-operable vmeans for actuating said clamping member, and means associated with said hand-operable means for releasably holding the latter against loosening from a tightened position.

4. In a, primary battery having a replaceable electrode assembly provided with a suspension bolt adapted to project through and be secured to an apertured cover of the battery container: a unitary connector device comprising 'a frame member having a body portion provided with anY internally-threaded bore for engagement with the .projecting portion of said bolt above the cover; a side arm on said body portion adapted to permit the frame member to be tightened `onto the bolt' and be removed therefrom by hand, said body portion having a wire-receiving opening exposing a. threaded portion of said bott; wire-clamping means on said frame member for clamping a Wire between it and said threaded portion of the bolt; and means -associated with said clamping means for-holding the same against loosening from a tightened position.

Y 5. In a primary battery having a replaceable electrode assembly provided with an upstanding threaded post for connection with an apertured cover of the battery container: a unitary connector device adapted to thread to said post to secure said assembly to said cover, said connector device having a side arm to facilitate its being turned by hand; and a Wire-connecting means on said device comprising a wire-clamp-l ing member, hand-operable threaded means for exerting clamping pressure against said clamping member, and resilient means interposed between said clamping member and saidhandoperable means for frictionally holding the latter fromrloosening within a range of turning movement thereof wherein the same exerts pressure against said clamping member.

6. In a primary battery having a replaceable electrode assembly provided with an upstanding threaded post for connection with an apertured cover of the battery container; a connectordevice comprising a frame member' having a body portion adapted to thread to said post to exert pressure against said cover for holding the electrode assembly to the cover; a threaded member secured to said frame member and extending sidewise from the body portion; a lead-wireclampi'ng member associated with said threaded member; hand-operable threaded means engaging said threaded member' for operating said clamping member; and resilient means interposed between said clamping member and'hand-operable means for frictionally holding the hand-operable means against loosening Within a range of turning movement thereof wherein the same exerts pressure against said clamping member.

7. In a primary battery having a replaceable electrode assembly provided with a suspension bolt adapted to project through and be secured toan apertured cover of the battery container: a connector device comprising a frame member having a body portion adapted for threaded engagement with the portion of the bolt extending above .the cover; a lead-wire-clamping means comprising a clamping member mounted on said frameV member for transverse movement toward and away from an exposed threaded portionfof said bolt; and hand-operable threaded means cooperating with said clamping member for exert-` ing pressure on the latter whereby to press a lead Wire into engagement with said threaded portion of said bolt. Y

8. In a primary battery having a replaceable electrode assembly provided with a suspension bolt for supporting the assembly from an apertured cover of the battery container: a connector device comprising a frame member having a body portion provided with a bore for threaded engagement with the portion of the bolt extending above the cover, said body portion having an opening extending therethrough in transverse relation to and in communicationdwith said bore, said open-` Y ing being .adapted to receive a lead wire for conthreaded post for connection with an aperturedsupporting cover of the battery container: a coni means on said frame member for actuating said clamping member whereby to clamp the lead wire to said frame member; and resilient means interposed between sad hand-operable means and said clamping member for frictionally holding the hand-operable means against loosening from a tightened position.

l0. In a primary battery having a replaceable. electrode assembly provided with a suspension bolt adapted to project through and be connected to an apertured cover of the battery container: a connector device comprisingV a frame member having a body portion provided with a bore for threaded engagement with the portion of the bolt extending above the cover, said body portion having an opening extending therethrough in transverse relation to and in communication with said bore, said opening being adapted to receive a lead Wire for connection with said bolt; a side arm on said body portion adapted to permit the device to be gripped by the hand and turned tightly onto and removed from the bolt, said arm having a hole extending axially therethrough at right angles to said opening and said bore and communicating with both the opening and bore; and clamping means threadingly engaging the axial hole of the arm for exerting sidewise pressure against a lead wire within said, opening Y whereby to press the lead wire into engagement with said bolt.

11. In a primary battery having a replaceable electrode assembly provided with a suspension bolt adapted to project through and be connected to an apertured cover of the battery container: a connector device comprising a frame member having a body portion provided with a bore for threaded engagement with the portion of the bolt extending above the cover, said body portion having a transverse slit communicating with said bore and adapted to receive a lead Wire for connection with said bolt; a clamping member on said frame member for movement into and out of said slit and toward and away from said bolt; and hand-operable means on said frame member and in association with said clamping member for operating the latter whereby to clamp a lead wire against said bolt.

LE ROY S. DUNHAM. HUBERT M. TEAGUE. 

